Clause 12 - Monitoring progress
Equality Bill
8:55 am

Meg Munn (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry; Sheffield, Heeley, Labour)

It will be helpful if I explain a little about the clause. There is a wide range of issues for the commission to tackle if it is to play its part in shaping a society characterised by social justice, strong communities and a prosperous economy. Achieving those outcomes will require action in a broad range of areas, not just by the commission, but by many others in state and civil society.

Securing equality, challenging prejudice, promoting human rights and strengthening communities will require more than singular or narrow approaches and long-term commitment. To achieve those outcomes, we need greater clarity regarding the nature of the barriers to progress, the changes necessary and the measures by which we can evaluate the progress that we have made. The commission’s duty to identify those outcomes and track progress toward them through clearly defined indicators is at the heart of the clause. In some areas of equality and human rights there will certainly and rightly be debate about the outcomes that we seek and the ways in which the outcomes can most effectively be measured.

The clause places the commission under a duty to consult widely on outcomes and indicators. An objective and robust analysis of that sort is important for two reasons. First, if we are to make progress in the areas of equality and human rights, we need to agree the nature of the problems that face us and the most effective solutions for addressing them. Building consensus on that basis and developing a wider debate across Britain is essential to deepen our shared understanding and identify the priorities. Secondly, such a report will provide a sound evidence base from which the commission can determine its strategic priorities and focus its efforts. The commission will have to make tough decisions about its priorities and will need to identify where needs are most acute and where it is likely to have the most impact. In order to do that priority setting well, it will need a credible   starting point, which is provided by the “State of the Nation” report, which has been the subject of discussion. That is why I wanted to go into this matter a little more.